It was quite a chilly night tonight. The tradewinds are back in full force. What a perfect night to have something hot and soupy! Chicken long rice fit the bill. It is a dish commonly served in Hawaiian luaus and family gatherings. As with other Hawaiian dishes that have been influenced by the migrant population, Chicken Long Rice was brought over by the migrant Chinese workers back in the late 1800’s and has since evolved and intertwined with Hawaiian culinary history. What I find interesting is that this dish is called “long rice” even though it is noodles.

As the pot was on the stove, the aroma of the long rice wafted through the living room. AM came running into the kitchen and said it smells authentic and reminded him of how his mom used to make it. With a big hug, he said it brought back good memories. Nice! I love being able to cook something Hawaiian for him since it is part of his heritage. Sure there are lots of local Hawaiian eateries but there’s nothing like something homemade.

It takes quite a bit of effort to prep the ingredients but the results are well worth it. This recipe calls for ginger. I had a big piece this time. Revisiting my earlier post which included a tutorial on using a spoon to peel ginger, you can see how cleanly the ginger was peeled with the nubs intact.

1. Soak the long rice in warm water for one hour.
2. Pour chicken broth into large pot, add chicken and ginger and simmer for five minutes.
3. Add onion, carrots, mushrooms, and simmer for another 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Drain long rice. Add salt, green onions, and long rice to pot and cook five minutes or until long rice becomes translucent.